Depreciation Station: 2008-'13 BMW M3

How can anyone turn down a V8,
especially one fitted with four cams
that howls like a demon from hell
and delivers a ground-shattering
knockout punch? Meet the BMW M3.

The BMW M3 had
always been a balanced,
well-behaved machine,
but it wasn’t exactly a
fire-breathing monster–
until the E92-chassis
version rolled onto the
scene for the 2008
model year. Where past M3s had
relied on four- and then six-cylinder
power, the new car went whole hog
with a V8.

And not just any V8. We’re talking
about one with four cams, 32
valves, an aluminum block and
heads, variable cam control, and
one throttle body per cylinder.
Redline was a staggering 8300 rpm.
Total output? How about a cool,
comfortable 414 horsepower in
U.S. guise?

The V8 didn’t add any weight to
the nose of the car, either. In fact,
BMW says that the V8 undercut
the previous inline-six by about 33 pounds.

Compared to the
standard-issue BMW
3 Series, the M3 also
received the requisite
stiffer suspension, flared
fenders, limited-slip
differential, lightweight
bumpers, and a carbon-fiber
roof–the latter a first for a production
vehicle. The aluminum hood
received a giant bulge that was hard
to miss, too. Inside, the M3 received
a steering wheel that could only be
described with one word: perfect.

This new M3 was certainly
quick–it could scat to 60 in less
than 5 seconds–but the real kicker
came when it was tooling about.
Despite the amazing performance
potential, the M3 was a kitten in
town. The clutch wasn’t unwieldy,
and outward visibility was good in
all directions. Those high-bolstered
seats weren’t hard to get into or out
of, and adequate truck space came standard.

All of that goodness had a price,
too. Most M3 customers handed
over about $60,000–figure a few
bucks more if they went with the
four-door sedan or folding hardtop
convertible models soon added to
the lineup. Today, though, cars start
at about half that figure, with some
advertised for less than $30,000.

If there was a downside to
all of this, it was the timing. The
E92-chassis M3 came out just
before the 2008 financial crisis and
the ensuing spike in gas prices. The
EPA’s updated fuel economy numbers
for the car show 14 mpg city
and 20 mpg highway–and premium
gasoline is required. BMW’s new
M4–call it the M3’s spiritual successor–
checks in at 17/26 while
making a pinch more power from
less displacement. Credit turbocharging
for the help.

Today, you’re not going to find
a 2007-’13 BMW M3 for sale on
every corner, but it’s still an amazing
driver’s car that has depreciated to
family-car money. Here’s one more
reason to want one: It will most
likely be the last V8-powered BMW
M3 ever offered.

Care and Feeding

UUC Motorwerks has
been offering aftermarket
upgrades to the BMW
community for years. Arjun
Soundararajan, the company’s
CEO offered us some
buying tips for this particular
model.

All M motors from BMW—
including the V8 found in
this car—are well-built and
will last as long as oil change
and maintenance schedules
are adhered to. The onboard
iDrive system will actually
warn you when you are due
for maintenance based on
how the car is driven. But you
will still want to check maintenance
records to confirm the
work has been done, and with
the correct materials.

When test-driving, listen for
creaks and groans. That normally
indicates a higher wear
rate depending on the mileage
of the car.

This M3 could use better
brakes in front as it has a
single piston-floating caliper.
Upgrades you may come
across like stainless steel lines
or bigger calipers are a plus.

As a buyer, you don’t really
need to be overly picky with
these cars. All the cars that we
have seen—both automatic
and manual—have not had any
serious issues.